Art of drawing collapsible tubes



W. C. HUNTOON.

ART OF DRAWING COLLAPSIBLE TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24. 19I9.

1,376,374. Patented Apr. 26,1921.

Ecri- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ART OF DRAWING COLLAPSIBLE TUBES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

Application filed July 24, 1919. Serial No. 313,024.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. HUn'rooN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Art of Drawing Collapsible Tubes, of which thefollowing is aspecification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the of drawing Collapsible tubes, and it consists primarily in the formation of a formed blank from which the tube then may be extruded.

The principal object of the invention Is to produce a formed blank from a flat, d skshaped blank from which the collapsible tube may be easily and expeditiously drawn, whereby the manufacture is rendered more economical and the finished product more efficient and practical.

Further the invention relates to the features and steps hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawing wherein Figure l is a plan View of the init al blank; and

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof;

Fig. 3 shows in section, a die with a blank therein partly extruded; I

Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating the blank fully formed; and

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the formed blank.

The original blank 1 consists of a ringlik disk-shaped piece of material having a central aperture 2 and resembling a Washer body. This blank is disposed in the recess or seat 3 of the female part 4 of the forming and shaping die, and from the bot-* tom of this recess 3 leads an axial cylindrical bore 5 having an inverted conical bottom 6 which leads to a central, depending bore 7 axially related to the main bore 5 and having a reduced bore 8 extending axially from the bottom of bore 7. The conical bottom 6 is formed with an annular shoulder 9 designed to gage or define that portion of the formed blank which will constitute the top of the finished tube.

The upper end of the cylindrical main bore5 mergesinto the flat bottom of the recess 3 by means of the rounded guiding face 10 whereby when the plunger or make part 11 of the forming die is forced down into the main bore the originally flat blank will be drawn down therein forming a cupshaped body. The male or plunger part consists of a body portion fitting the main bore and provided with a reduced portion 12 having a conical lower end and a small axial extension 13 fitting and closing the bore 8 t0 the extrusion of metal therethrough. The diameter of the die portion 12 is less than the annual shoulder 9 by the thickness of the opposite, Walls of the extruded tube.

In practice, the initially flat blank is arranged in the recess 3 and the plunger allowed to descend thereon to bring the blank into the shape substantially as depicted in Fig. 3 where the initial force or pressure applied to the plunger has met with resistance from the conical bottom wall 6. In this position it will be noted that the square shoulder 14, formed by reducing the die to form the portion 12, is spaced above the upper edge of the now cup-shaped blank and the center aperture 2 is substantially of the same diameter as in the original blank although the center portion of the blank is given a conical form.

At this point of the process the plunger is subjected to additional pressure to extrude the complete top of the tube with the discharge nozzle 15 which may be simultaneously or subsequently threaded to receive the usual cap. The additional pressure on the plunger forces the metal from the conical portion of the partly formed cup-shaped blank in Fig. 3 down into the bore 7 and about the stem 13 which latter maintains an opened passage through the top. The process of extrusion is limited by the shoulder 14 coming into contact with the cylindrical bulk or side of the formed blank from which the side of the collapsible tube is to be extruded by a process forming the subject matter, or a part thereof, of two copending applications filed by me on June 10, 1919, under Serial Numbers 303,17 9 and 303,180 and entitled Die for extruding collapsible tubes and Art of extruding collapsible tubes, respectively.

The formed blank thus produced embodies a'complete top for a collapsible tube and a body portion from which the collapsible or flexible sides of the tube may be later drawn by a further process of extrusion. The female part of the die may embody such characters or letters for producing suitable advertising matter on the conical wall of the completed top.

Having thus described my invention,

which I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The art of drawing formed blanks from the fiat material consisting in extruding the completed top and1discharge nozzle in their finished statefrom the central portion of the material by forcing said central portion first radially inwardly and then axially, and turning the remainder of the flat blank up in the form of a cylinder from which the sides of the flexible tube may subsequently be extruded.

2. The art of extruding collapsible tubes, consisting in initially ,ydrawing the central portion of a washer-like blank into a female die of less diameter than the blank to turn the outer portion of the latter up into cylindrical form, and then, by a continuation of the initial drawing action, subjecting the said central portion to pressure for extruding the complete top wall and discharge nozzle therefrom in the finished state.

v 3. A die for extruding formed blanks for collapsible tubes, comprising 'a female part having a cylindrical bore opening at one end into a shallow seat for receiving the initially flat blank, and its bottom of such contour as to give the extruded portion of the blank a shape corresponding to the shape of the finished tube, and a male part shaped to correspond to the interior of the top of the tube and provided with a stem extension for passing through the blank for providing the discharge opening through the top.

4. A die for extruding formed blanks for collapsibletubes, comprising a female part having a top and neck cavity, and a male part having a stem extension for entering the neck cavity to provide an opening in the neck of the formed blank about which the metal is forced.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nam to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM G. HUNTOON.

Witnesses:

BESSIE P. TOOMEY, J A. MILLER, 

